I would like to take this opportunity to wish each and every one of you a very happy and prosperous New Year. It gives me great pleasure to welcome you to our first issue of InTouch - our industry newsletter. InTouch is a way for us to communicate with you, our industry partners, as we move forward to strengthening the tourism sector and promote Nova Scotia as a prime visitor destination. We invite you to provide us with your comments and feedback in order to make this publication the best it can be. As you may have heard, on Thursday, January 14th, Premier Darrell Dexter announced changes to the deputy minister management team.
Kelliann Dean, has been appointed the new Public Service Commissioner and deputy minister of Seniors. Over the last five years, Kelliann has shown dedicated leadership to our department. Her experience and commitment to tourism in Nova Scotia has benefitted the department as well as the industry as a whole.
Laura Lee Langley, the former assistant deputy minister at Communications Nova Scotia is now the acting deputy minister of Tourism, Culture, and Heritage. I look forward to working with her and ask you to join me in welcoming Laura Lee to the Department. I sincerely hope you enjoy reading this issue of InTouch and find it useful and helpful as we work to strengthen tourism in Nova Scotia. Hon. Percy Paris Minister of Tourism, Culture and Heritage

Tourism Activity Review: November 2009

Highlights: In November, visits to Nova Scotia slipped 1%, compared to November 2008 Year-to-date, visitation is up 1%, primarily due to strong performance in July Visits from other provinces, year-to-date, increased 2% while visits from the US and overseas were down (2% and 6% respectively). Activity in the accommodation sector was mixed for the month of November; two regions reported increases, another remained on par and the remaining regions reported declines compared to November 2008. At the provincial level, room-nights sold decreased 1% in November. Year-to-date room-nights sold were 4% below where they were this time in 2008.

From January to November, 1.87 million visitors came to the province, a 1% increase compared to this time last year. For the month of November, visitation equaled 121,400, a 1% decline compared to November 2008.

The 2009 tourism season has marked an interruption in visitation trends noted for the last several years with increases in road travel and decreases in air travel. Year-to-date, road visits have grown 7% while air visitation is down 11%. For the month of November, both air and rubber tire traffic decreased (2% and 1% respectively).

Domestic tourism performance to the end of November showed growth compared to 2008, due to increases from the Atlantic Canada and Ontario markets. Visits from Ontario improved by 4% (about 18,000 visits), while visits from other Atlantic Canadian provinces increased 2% (or 19,500 visits) YTD. Visits from Quebec and Western Canada lagged by 4% and 5% respectively.

American visitation to Nova Scotia dropped 2% to the end of November due to a weak US air market. To the end of November, US road visits increased 10%, primarily due to the strong New England drive market, while American air visits fell by 18%.

Although visits from overseas markets increased in October and November (up 14% and 10% respectively), these increases are due to a weak performance during the fall of 2008. Year-to-date, overseas visitation remains down 6% (about 4,000 visitors), primarily due to the weak business market. Visits from the UK declined 17% YTD, while visitors from Germany are on par with this time last year.

Activity in the accommodation sector saw fewer room-nights sold in some regions for November, with exceptions in Cape Breton and Yarmouth & Acadian Shores (up 12% and 20% respectively), and the Fundy & Annapolis Shore, who were on par with November 2008. The remaining regions reported declines, ranging from -2% in Halifax to -11% in the South Shore. At the provincial level, room-nights sold were down 1% compared to November 2008, while YTD results indicate 4% fewer room-nights sold.

See the 2009 Key Tourism Indicators page for a complete list of tourism industry benchmarks for Nova Scotia.

Developing the Nova Scotia experience 2010 is all about experiential tourism for Nova Scotia. In February, we are taking 10 operators to Riding Mountain National Park in Manitoba for an industry best practice mission that we are coordinating and co-hosting with Celes Devar, one of the national leaders in experiential tourism. The goal of this mission is to help operators and producers develop market-ready and purchasable products.

We are also taking a lead role in developing a new Experience Toolkit, which will be designed to help industry in developing compelling, consumer-driven experiences that are consistent with our brand. Specifically, the toolkit will include information and ideas on such things as targeting the experience seeker, positioning and promoting products as experiences, creating green and sustainable experiences and looking at successful Nova Scotia best practices. The toolkit will be available to industry this spring.

Free promotional opportunities on novascotia.com
The web is the most used source for travel information, hands down. In 2009 alone, novascotia.com received over 1.5 million visitors. Are you making the most of this opportunity to promote your tourism operation?

You can feature your accommodations, attractions, festivals, events, activities, tour listings and travel packages on novascotia.com at no cost. You can also now include extended descriptions, video, photos, area overview and a PDF brochure – all for free. Don’t miss your opportunity to leverage online marketing opportunities on novascotia.com.

Feature your Travel Packages and Travel Deals for free!
Maximize your promotional opportunities by uploading your Travel Packages and Travel Deals to the travel package/travel deal section of http://gov.ns.ca/tch/tourism/packages-offers.aspx. Your packages and/or deals will be linked to your operator listing and if your package or deal is related to a tourism core experience, it will be promoted in core experience pages on novascotia.com. This is an easy and inexpensive way to get your packages and deals in front of potential visitors from around the world.

Taking the Show on the Road
Bringing Nova Scotia to Key Markets Through Consumer and Travel Trade Shows
Nova Scotia Tourism's presence at consumer and travel trade shows is an important tool for marketing Nova Scotia. As we move into 2010 we will continue to participate in a number of consumer and travel trade shows. Many of these shows provide valuable partnership opportunities for Nova Scotia tourism operators to participate and bring their own unique Nova Scotia product directly to the consumer and travel trade markets. 

Consumer and travel trade shows and events help to keep Nova Scotia top of mind as an ideal vacation destination. They also allow for new trade-ready products, experiences, festivals and events to be introduced to this important sales channel and they allow for a timely understanding of market trends and performance.

Here are the shows at which we’ll be representing Nova Scotia and Nova Scotia tourism operators:

Consumer Shows
Canada
Atlantic Motorcycle and ATV Show, Moncton, NB (February 13-15)
Meet 15,000+ motorcycle enthusiasts. Toronto Outdoor Adventure Show (February 26-28) Reach 29,500 outdoor adventure travelers from one of Nova Scotia's key target markets. Ottawa Travel and Vacation Show (March 6-7) Reach the travelling consumer in Ottawa visiting this show for ideas from weekend jaunts to international destinations.

United States
Boston Globe Travel Show, Boston, MA (February 12-14)
The largest consumer attended show in the U.S. with an additional opportunity to meet travel agents during exclusive trade hours. In 2009 there were 17,101 consumers and 1,623 trade attendees. Consumers will be able to trace their heritage and sample the Routes to your Roots program, which uses a network of 100 archives in the province to find family ties to Nova Scotia.
The Los Angeles Times Consumer Show, Los Angeles, CA (February 13-14)
Reach over 20,000 Southern California consumers and travel agents.
The New York Times Travel Show, New York City, NY (February 26-28)
Reach over 24,000 travelers and travel professionals.

Europe
Destinations: Holiday and Travel Show, London, UK (February 4-7)
Plan early to take part in one of the United Kingdom's largest consumer travel shows. The Destinations show attracts more than 35,000 consumers, mainly from London and the southeastern region. Partner space in the Nova Scotia exhibition area is limited.
Glasgow Holiday and Travel Show, Glasgow, UK (February 12-14)
The Holiday and Travel show provides operators with the opportunity to meet and interact with consumers from across the United Kingdom.

Travel Trade Shows
United States
AAA Travel Marketplace, Foxborough, MA (March 5-7)
Annual consumer travel show presented by AAA Southern New England. 

Seatrade Miami, Miami Beach, FL (March 15-18)
Seatrade is North America's largest cruise industry convention (must be an ACCA member to exhibit).

Europe
Mid-Atlantic Workshop and Travel Seminar, Reykjavik, IS (February 4-7)
Icelandair's annual trade event brings together suppliers and buyers from North America and Europe, including more than 100 European tour operators and travel agents. Participation includes a Nova Scotia destination presentation to European buyers, followed by a trade show and several networking opportunities.

International Tourism Bourse (ITB), Berlin, DE (Mar 10-14)
One of the world's leading travel fairs, the event provides an opportunity to meet with tour operators, travel agents, and meeting and incentive travel planners and travel media. Nova Scotia's participation is in partnership with the Atlantic Canada Provinces and the Canadian Tourism Commission.

Many of these shows provide valuable partnership opportunities for tourism operators to participate and bring their own unique Nova Scotia product directly to the consumer and travel trade markets. If you are interested in finding out more about participating in a show or other partnership opportunities, please visit www.gov.ns.ca/tch/tourism and download the 2010 Partnerships and Programs book.

We will also be co-hosting an Atlantic Canada dinner event in the unique Gherkin building in London, England, for travel media, tour operators and other travel industry partners. To promote Nova Scotia as a cruise destination, we will be attending the Taste of Atlantic Canada Event in Miami, where a reception and dinner will be hosted by the Atlantic Canada Cruise Association. Staff will also be attending the American Bus Association Annual Marketplace in January.

2010 Saltscapes Winter and Spring Calendar is now available Featuring festivals, events and packages taking place or available across the province from January to May, this calendar is produced in partnership with Saltscapes Magazine and Publishing. Some 300,000 copies were inserted in all maritime daily newspapers and the eastern edition of the Globe and Mail in early January. Copies will also be available at all Visitor Information Centres, or you can view it online at novascotia.com and saltscapesmagazine.com.

Remember to refer the 2010 Plan and Partnership program books often to guide your marketing activities: http://gov.ns.ca/tch/tourism/tourism-plan.aspx

Who's Who

So much to do in Central Nova 2010 is ramping up to be another exciting year for tourists in Central Nova. Among some of the new sites and attractions worth checking out are: Eatonville Day Park and Interpretive Centre in Cape Chignecto Provincial Park Four Fathers Festival in Amherst, celebrating the four fathers of confederation who lived in Amherst Enhancements to campsites and trails at Five Islands Provincial Park Mo’s – a great new hostel and Internet café in Five Islands Not Since Moses – a new route for this 10km run or 5km walk will allow for increased participation New programming at the Glooscap Heritage Centre to include art shows, drumming, Mi’kmaq language course, and more.

The Central Nova Tourist Association (CNTA) is proud to be part of a new partnership called the Three Shores Tourism Marketing Association, involving the Pictou County Tourist Association and the Antigonish-Eastern Shore Tourist Association. In another unique marketing move, CNTA is partnering with the Destination Southwest Nova Association to produce a joint and cohesive guide to the Fundy Shore.

As a regional tourist association, we offer a grass-roots connection to the tourism operators, local organizations, RDAs and municipalities in the region. We work to identify the needs of local industry, enhance and facilitate product development, and provide opportunities to address those needs. By sharing the best of what we have to offer, we ensure that those who spend time here have the best possible experiences while visiting.

Gold winner for Internet packaging program in Antigonish-Eastern Shore Thirty-four operators in the Eastern Nova Scotia region are selling over 100 packages on the Internet through the Internet Packaging Program (IPP). For their efforts, the Canadian Tourism Commission and Yahoo! last year awarded the Antigonish-Eastern Shore Tourist Association (AESTA) the Gold Award for the best campaign for small and medium sized enterprises across Canada – a huge honour for such a small area.

As new members of the Three Shores Tourism Marketing Association (TSTMA) we are planning all kinds of new marketing initiatives in the coming year.

AESTA is working hard to promote local operators and producers. Here are just a few of the initiatives AESTA is carrying out this year:

• Running a radio campaign on PEI’s Island Radio this summer promoting the Northumberland Shore. It reaches 1.25 million visitors to PEI and 800,000 tourists travelling on the Northumberland Shore.
• Publishing information such as two websites, newsletters and regional guides for the Eastern Shore and the Northumberland Shore.
• Putting on workshops like “Let’s Talk Tourism”.
• Encouraging local festivals with support and advertising.
• Attending trade shows such as Saltscapes in the spring and Toronto in the summer.
• Acting as a resource of information for operators, such as information on the future of the Tourist Accommodations Act.
• Buying media advertising.

AESTA is excited to spread the word about a number of new tourist attractions for 2010. The Sea Rover Marine, a marina, restaurant and accommodations, will be opening this spring on the Jeddore Harbour. Farmers markets are popping up everywhere – a great excuse for everyone to buy local. The Ship Harbour Long Lake Wilderness Area has just been declared a protected area on the Eastern Shore. The Chedabucto Performance Theatre in Guysborough has new performances this year, and there is also a new archive facility at Memory Lane, a recreation of a 1940s village on the Eastern Shore.

Cape Breton – An island-wide approach to tourism Destination Cape Breton Association has recently evolved from being a membership-driven organization to an island-wide, full destination marketing organization that represents all of Cape Breton. A new island-wide website will be developed and launched in time for visitors to capitalize on learning about what’s going on “all round Cape Breton” this summer. Summer staff will even be “twittering” our VICs to ensure that visitors dropping in at anytime through the day or around Cape Breton will be updated on what’s happening “just around the corner or down the road”. Providing information to our visitors on what’s going on throughout Cape Breton Island at all times is critical to keeping our visitors here longer.

Travel via two wheels is also gaining immense popularity in Cape Breton. Recently, Lonely Planet named Cape Breton as one of the top ten bicycle destinations in the world. Velo Cape Breton is an island-wide program that caters to our growing bicycle touring market. For those who enjoy two wheels with a bit more speed, this August, motorcyclists can again enjoy BikeFest with over 10,000 anticipated participants. Another exciting event will be the arrival of the Cape Breton Clipper (currently in first place!) in the international Clipper Round the World Race. Sydney is proud to be hosting the fleet of racing yachts from June 13-19.

DCBA has set up a number of stakeholder meetings in a town hall format to allow all operators an opportunity to bring forward their thoughts and ideas on how we can strengthen tourism in our area. These sessions will also allow DCBA to discuss the island-wide approach to what we are doing and how everyone can benefit. Continuing to work with and capitalize on the great programs offered by our partners at ECBC, Nova Scotia Tourism and TIANS will always be part of our strategy.

What's on your Mind? We want to hear from you. Share your wisdom and experiences with us or start a conversation about tourism issues that are near and dear to you. Got a story idea, interesting tidbit, or anything that your compatriots might want to hear about. Send it to intouch@gov.ns.ca and we’ll publish a selection in each issue.